Not sure why for the last couple of nights I haven’t been able to sleep well. That usually happens when I’ve got to get up early in the morning. Not the case now! I can get up when I want and yet still I find my eyes opening around 7 am. after a rough and […]

This is a line in one of my favourite chapters of The Quran, surah Inshirah. SURAH 94: AL SHARH or AL INSHIRAH (The Expansion of the Breast).  In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful  1 Have we not expanded your breast? 2 And removed from you your burden 3 Which galled your back? […]

I keep thinking back to a conversation I had with my friend Uma Krishnaswami, while we were at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content. It was such an amazing experience. I guess coming from a place where I’m writing as a minority to a place where Asian children’s content is the majority, seeing how seriously […]

My father always asked me when I was going to grow up and write an ‘adult’ book. Well apparently I’ve done it. At least that’s what one of my editors said when she rejected that novel I’ve been fretting about and working on since March 2009. I started it when I got back from the […]

I started some of my Eid shopping early. Went to one of those big warehouses that have discount toys and books. The toys don’t interest me much, but the books… I picked up a classic Pride & Prejudice for that niece of mine who was struggling through Wuthering Heights. And I picked up some books […]

Oh today was a rare day! A day with no school visits, no writing deadlines and no obligations! I got to potter! Even though I could have slept in, for the sake of tomorrow’s early start, I got up by 9 am. But it still felt leisurely! I took care of loads of housework: laundry, […]

I was at a family function and a bright and bubbly sixteen year old, whom I used to babysit when she was just a wee bairn, came up to me and asked me how I was doing. It surprised me that she sought me out, and even after she’d asked me the usual questions, she […]

I feel like a bit of a fraud when it comes to taking credit for Big Red Lollipop. I was just reviewed by Betsy Bird, one of the top bloggers in the blogosphere and she said such lovely things about Big Red Lollipop, and yet it’s left me squirming. For the longest while I used […]

This is going to be a very disjointed post! I know I should focus entirely on the AFCC that was such an INCREDIBLE experience, but I feel I must get something else that happened out of the way. I returned to Canada (suffering through all fifteen plus hours of the Hong Kong to Toronto flight) […]

Less than ten hours till I’m on the road to Singapore. My friend Uma Krishnaswami told me that these people organizing the festival are FABULOUS! They take such good care of you and they’re so organized!!! I’m glad. Uma and I will be doing a session together on Thursday afternoon. I’m so looking forward to […]